Witnessing the Holocaust: Night by Elie Wiesel
You will work with your partner to delve into each chapter of this powerful autobiography. First, decide which partner is Partner A and which is Partner B so you each know what your homework is for each reading.
Format for Posting Quotes: “But people not only refused to believe his tales, they refused to listen. Some even insinuated that he only wanted their pity, that he was imagining things” (7).
Chapter 1 Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
Post a quote (with citation) that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc from when Elie and his family are in the ghetto.
Post a second quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
Post this quote: “But people not only refused to believe his tales, they refused to listen. Some even insinuated that he only wanted their pity, that he was imagining things” (7) and write your thoughts about its sad irony.
Partner B: Complete this work in below your partner’s response.
Choose two of the quotes posted by your partner to analyze and reflect upon. Write a paragraph+ in response to each quote (= 2+ paragraphs).
Class Discussion questions:
Share quotes that impacted you both then choose one to share with the class and explain why it impacted you all.
Who is Moshe the Beadle? Why do you think Wiesel used him as his introduction? (Think about your good intro. techniques!)
Look up the word ghetto – can you find a definition that links to what we have learned about ghettoes in the book? Paste the definition and explain its connection.
What are the steps in the “race toward death” (10)? List all of the steps (there are more than 5!)
Chapters 2 and 3 Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
Post two quotes (with citations) from any point in these two chapters that you think are particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
What part of this book has surprised/affected you the most thus far (this can be in chapter 1, 2, or 3)? Post this part.
Make a list of things (in any chapter you have read so far) that are unfamiliar, confusing, not totally clear … Think about vocabulary (foreign words and terms), geography, practices of the Jews or their captors, people mentioned, etc. Put a page number for each item.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.
Choose one of the quotes posted by your partner to analyze and reflect upon. Write a paragraph+ in response to the quote.
What part of this book has surprised/affected you the most thus far (this can be in chapter 1, 2, or 3)? Explain why.
Choose 2 or 3 things from your partner’s list that intrigue you. Look them up and paste urls for where further information can be found about them.
Chapter 4 Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
Post one quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
Wiesel almost overwhelms us with his descriptions of his concentration camp experiences. Choose one experience he describes that sticks out in your mind (from any point in the book) and explain: (a) the experience, (b) the effect of the experience on Wiesel, and (c) the effect of reading about the experience on you.
Partner B: Complete this work below your partner’s response.
Analyze and reflect upon the quote posted by your partner (write a paragraph+).
Wiesel almost overwhelms us with his descriptions of his concentration camp experiences. Choose one experience he describes that sticks out in your mind (from any point in the book) and explain: (a) the experience, (b) the effect of the experience on Wiesel, and (c) the effect of reading about the experience on you.
Chapter 5 Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
It has been said that a person's eyes are windows into the soul. Find the passage where Elie describes the eyes of Akiba Drumer – quote it with a citation here.
Post one quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.
It has been said that a person's eyes are windows into the soul. Reflect on the quote about Akiba Drumer posted by your partner. Why does Drumer lose his will to live? How about Elie? Is there a difference between the two? Why or why not?
Chapters 6 and 7 Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
Post one quote (with citation) that you feel is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc about Elie and his father.
Post another quote (with citation), but this time about another father/son pair.
Partner B: Complete this work below your partner’s response.
Reading the two quotes your partner has selected, reflect on fathers and sons in this autobiography.
Chapters 8 and 9 Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
If you had to point to one paragraph, page, passage ..., in this novel (from any chapter) which affected you the most, what would it be? Quote it with a citation.
Describe your feelings at the end of this novel.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.
If you had to point to one paragraph, page, passage ..., in this novel (from any chapter) which affected you the most, what would it be? Quote it with a citation.
Describe your feelings at the end of this novel.
Final Reading Reflection
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death” (Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Speech, December 1986).
Partner A and Partner B:Meet together to discuss this quote now that you know how the Holocaust shaped Elie Wiesel into who he is today. On your wiki page, record your shared understanding of what Elie Wiesel wants us to feel about indifference. We will share these in class.
You will work with your partner to delve into each chapter of this powerful autobiography. First, decide which partner is Partner A and which is Partner B so you each know what your homework is for each reading.
Chapter 1
Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- Post a quote (with citation) that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc from when Elie and his family are in the ghetto.
- Post a second quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
- Post this quote: “But people not only refused to believe his tales, they refused to listen. Some even insinuated that he only wanted their pity, that he was imagining things” (7) and write your thoughts about its sad irony.
Partner B: Complete this work in below your partner’s response.Class Discussion questions:
Chapters 2 and 3
Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- Post two quotes (with citations) from any point in these two chapters that you think are particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
- What part of this book has surprised/affected you the most thus far (this can be in chapter 1, 2, or 3)? Post this part.
- Make a list of things (in any chapter you have read so far) that are unfamiliar, confusing, not totally clear … Think about vocabulary (foreign words and terms), geography, practices of the Jews or their captors, people mentioned, etc. Put a page number for each item.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.Chapter 4
Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- Post one quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
- Wiesel almost overwhelms us with his descriptions of his concentration camp experiences. Choose one experience he describes that sticks out in your mind (from any point in the book) and explain: (a) the experience, (b) the effect of the experience on Wiesel, and (c) the effect of reading about the experience on you.
Partner B: Complete this work below your partner’s response.Chapter 5
Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- It has been said that a person's eyes are windows into the soul. Find the passage where Elie describes the eyes of Akiba Drumer – quote it with a citation here.
- Post one quote (with citation) from any point in this chapter that you think is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.Chapters 6 and 7
Partner A: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- Post one quote (with citation) that you feel is particularly powerful/meaningful/etc about Elie and his father.
- Post another quote (with citation), but this time about another father/son pair.
Partner B: Complete this work below your partner’s response.Chapters 8 and 9
Partner B: Complete this work in time to give your partner at least 12 hours to do their part.
- If you had to point to one paragraph, page, passage ..., in this novel (from any chapter) which affected you the most, what would it be? Quote it with a citation.
- Describe your feelings at the end of this novel.
Partner A: Complete this work below your partner’s response.Final Reading Reflection
“The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of beauty is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, but indifference between life and death” (Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize Speech, December 1986).
Partner A and Partner B:Meet together to discuss this quote now that you know how the Holocaust shaped Elie Wiesel into who he is today. On your wiki page, record your shared understanding of what Elie Wiesel wants us to feel about indifference. We will share these in class.